Removing limitations on learning. Opening opportunities. A culture of learning rather than a culture of teaching. What made these words, spoken by Principal of West Lakes Academy, Barrie Cooper, different from worthy speeches by educationalists or aspiring politicians on their coat tails was that they were made flesh in the bodies of the students who showed in their confident bearing and inspiring achievements that they would tolerate no limitations on their opportunities and were taking charge of their learning journey.
The taut, disciplined imagination of young writers reading stories focused on the experiences of refugees and survivors of war facing, perhaps with terror, New Beginnings, proved how heartily they had realised that they were not individuals standing alone but part of a greater body in which each member's suffering must affect them. When we heard Beth Durose's thrilling soprano voice we felt sure that she will be heard, one day, by much wider audiences and there too greeted not with polite applause but with whoops of appreciation. Her young supporters felt her triumph as their own. The Choir and Band's performance of O Fortuna from Carmina Burana into One Vision by Queen was inspiring, as the young singers made the music and the vision their own. The range of the achievements of students of the year, Jennifer Carroll, Catherine Coulthard, Richard Houghton, John Jackson, Connor Simpson and Stefanie Leeson, selected by each directorate, showed not only self belief but a capacity to lead and inspire others. They would not, in MP, Jamie Reed's words, accept mere "adequacy."

In the Refectory smart young waiters were offering trays of delicious canopies which they had spent all day cooking under the inspiring guidance of Ricky from Zest. It was quite clear that he was as impressed by these dazzling caterers as they were by the leadership of one of the master chefs of West Cumbria. No mere adequacy here! Egremont Town Band caught and transmitted the atmosphere with its own range of stirring modern music, including a medley of Abba tunes.
This could, of course, be the official opening only of the concept of West Lakes Academy, backed by its sponsors, Uclan, Sellafield, Ltd, and the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency. The buildings, to express in shape the education al vision of its Principal, are still in the design stage, but the spirit of the place is there and ready to take up residence. In the Library architects were displaying images of other academies and earnestly consulting students and their parents on which designs seemed "cool".

Outside in the space originally designed as an open air theatre in the early days of Wyndham, the Wind Band created a lovely sound, leading up to the climax of a dazzling firework display.

The previous day we had been honoured by a visit by the Academy’s A-level Technology class and three teachers, who were fascinated by the way Egremont Today is produced on a press that started printing for us while they were in their infancy, and has never failed to produce a complete edition of our paper. They will write on their visit in a later edition. They also watched the editor’s painstaking efforts at a platemaker and came up with the concept of a device to make his work easier.

Pictures, from top,

The choir gives lusty voice to O Fortuna
Ricky's young apprentice is learning eagerly
Mayor of Copeland, Keith Hitchen, and former Mayor, Margaret Woodburn, show their appreciation of the catering.